This invention relates generally to managing computer system performance, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a consolidated monitoring system and method using the Internet for diagnosing installed product sets on a computing device.
The popularity of the Internet and the ease of use of newer computers have made it possible for people with minimal computer skills to accept computers as a new household appliance. However, many of these new users lack the skills necessary to diagnose computer problems based on currently available solutions. Typically, when a computer device runs into a malfunction, the execution of the desired task is cut short and a series of highly technical and non-verbose computer messages are generated and presented to the user. The user is then faced with the challenge of diagnosing the computer problem in order to complete the task. The vast majority of computer users are not computer experts and so the natural response to many personal computer problems is to reboot. Rebooting, however, is not always effective in correcting the malfunction. Different types of system errors require different corrective actions. The highly technical error messages and program faults typically displayed for the lay person are not generally helpful, both in terms of understanding the nature of the problem as well as how to correct it. Many of these messages fail to go away despite attempts to ignore or bypass them. Another type of system error occurs when a program running on the system fails to terminate despite a proper termination request by the user. Even if the program does finally terminate, it sometimes fails to release a given device which may then cause other programs to fail. The lay user is once again left with no corrective tools or preventive solutions.
What is needed is a method and system for assisting a user who encounters a program error by providing a simple explanation of the error and easy to understand action items for this user to take in order to eliminate or prevent these situations. What is also needed is a method and system for providing detailed system and product information that a user can relay to a service provider or product vendor such as current product level and maintenance data, as well as information relating to about activities that have transpired in the system for diagnostic purposes.